Germs, Germs Everywhere

Cold and flu season is in full affect. We had 15 students out on Monday and another 10 out on Tuesday of this week due to illness. One of the best ways to prevent getting sick, and spreading germs to others, is to make sure you wash your hands regularly and use proper hand-washing techniques. Here are some helpful reminders of how and when to wash hands:

Proper Technique
1. Wet hands with clean, warm water
2. Apply soap
3. Lather soap by vigorously scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (this loosens the germs)
4. Rinse hands with warm, running water to remove all soap
5. Dry hands with a clean paper towel
- If possible, use the towel to turn off the water in the sink and to open the bathroom door

When to Wash
- Before eating meals
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After using the bathroom
- After changing a diaper
- After going to the store
- As soon as a child arrives home from school
- After touching a pet
- After wiping your nose, coughing/sneezing, or touching the face

By using these simple techniques and remembering when to wash your hands, you will be much better prepared to stay healthy during this time of year. And remember, healthy students means happy students.

To Disclose or Not to Disclose...

There is beginning to be concern in the education community about a new bill proposed by Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) regarding the procedure in which Superintendents are hired. Currently, Texas law prevents school districts from disclosing applicants who are applying for vacant Superintendent positions until School Boards have chosen the "finalists" for the position. Since current law does not define what a "finalist" is, districts generally name only one "lone finalist" and wait the required a 21-day waiting period for public scrutiny of the lone finalist before he/she officially hiring the lone finalist.

Senate Bill 503, proposed by Sen. Eltife, would require districts to disclose the names of any person who is formally interviewed by a school board. Eltife believes the public has a right to know who is applying for such important positions in school districts. However, both superintendent and school boards argue that by disclosing the name of any person who is interviewed it will severely limit the number of people who might apply for a job. The fear is that the number of applicants will drop if the applicants think their current employer will be unhappy if they are looking for a new job.

I am an advocate of open government, and I do not have the concerns felt by many of my peers. I do not think that decisions should be made behind closed doors, especially when it comes to public entities like school districts, so I think it is a good thing to know who is applying for jobs. Other states have more open processes, and there is little or no evidence that the number and quality of applicants is somehow diminished by having a more open process.

I also believe that a person should have a strong enough relationship with a boss/employer to be able to speak openly about the possibility of changing jobs. If you find a person who is able to have the type of relationship with an employer that allows for tough conversations, such as the possibility of leaving, then I think that person will be more qualified than a person who does things behind the boss' back. The type of person who is able to have open, honest discussions, even if they are not always easy, is the type of leader one wants for a school and in life in general.

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

Anyone reading the newspaper recently has probably read an article or two about an upcoming vote by the State Board of Education regarding the way students in Texas are taught in science class. For the last 20 years, the state science curriculum allowed schools to teach "both the strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. However, the clause became a lightning rod of debate over the teaching of evolution with scientific proponents saying that evolution is a well tested theory and that any effort to undermine its concept is nothing but a back door attempt to assert religion into the classroom.

It should be no surprise that evolution has created a controversy in Texas today. Ever since Charles Darwin released his groundbreaking, yet controversial, book The Origin of Species in 1858, the scientific community and religious community have been at odds as to how we came to be. The first major court case in the US was the so-called “Scopes Monkey Trial” in 1927. In the case, a Tennessee teacher was convicted of teaching evolution in the classroom, but his case was overturned on appeal to the TN Supreme Court. This was the first decision to conclude that the teaching of creationism did violate the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution. Numerous court cases since further affirmed that teaching creationism (whether it is called Scientific Creationism, Intelligent Design, or something else) is unconstitutional.

This brings us to the controversy of today. Let me first state that I am not endorsing one side of the issue or the other. WISD will teach the required curriculum, no matter what the decision of the SBOE is. I just want to give you both sides of the argument:

Proponents of Removing the Clause:

• Evolution has countless experiments supporting it
• Does not claim to explain the origin of life, only how it evolved to what it is today
• Does not suggest that individuals evolve, only species evolve over time
• Intelligent Design and other opponents of evolution offer no evidence for their theories or claims
• This clause essentially advocates a view that there is a creator, therefore violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution

Opponents of Removing the Clause:

• There are many gaps in the Theory of Evolution
• Students should be allowed to critically analyze evolutionary theory
• Fear removing the clause will essentially end the debate of evolution and shuts down any dissent

There is no doubt that whatever the decision the debate of creationism vs. evolution will continue. The SBOE has a difficult and controversial decision to make and I hope they make the decision that is in the best interest of the students of Texas.

Weekly Happenings Jan. 26-30

Here are some things going on in WISD this week:

• The boys' and girls' basketball teams will host Central Texas Christian School on Monday. The girls' White team will tip-off at 5:00 pm. This marks the final game of the season for our girls, so come out and support them as they take on a tough CTC squad!
• Progress reports will be issued on Wednesday.
• The boys' Blue basketball team will compete in the St. Mary's of Temple basketball tournament on Saturday. The Bluejays won this prestigious tournament last year and are out to defend their title.

Each week during announcements, we focus on one message and give small bits of wisdom and advice for our students. Our Message for the Week is "Be Content with What You Have!"

Have a great week, or not, the CHOICE is yours!

Westphalia Pride

I had the opportunity to take a former Superintendent and mentor from Waco around our school today. I always love to share the story of Westphalia ISD because its so unique. Between our historical ties to the Church of the Visitation to the sheer make-up of our students, WISD is truly a special place to be.

During our conversation, I was asked of about our student population. I thought I'd share some of it. WISD currently has 154 students. Of those 154 students, only 35 live within the district (22.7%). We currently have 119 students which transfer into our district (77.3%). Those students come from the following districts (percentage of total transfers in parentheses):

Rosebud-Lott -- 75 students (63.5%)
Marlin -- 31 students (26.2%)
Temple -- 5 students (4.7%)
Chilton, Troy, Waco, & Bremond -- 2 students each (1.7%)
Rogers & Chilton -- 1 student each (<1%)

When you stop and think that 3 of 4 students who attend school here do not actually live in WISD, it shows what a wonderful place this must be for students. I'm proud of that fact. I'm proud that I get to work with such great kids with such great parents. I hope you feel the same!

Quote of the Day

This quote was inspirational to me, so I thought I'd share it:

"Talent is God-given, be thankful. Praise is man-given, be humble. Conceit is self-given, be careful!"
-- Tony Dungy, Retired coach of the Indianapolis Colts

Weekly Happenings Jan. 20 - 23

Here are some of the things going on in WISD this week:

• Students in KG through 2nd grade will be taking the Mid-year Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) screening test. The TPRI is a state mandated assessment for all students in grades K-2 throughout the state. Its goal is to provide a comprehensive picture of a student's reading/language development.
• The Westphalia Bluejay girls and boys basketball teams will be hosting St. Mary's of Temple on Thursday night. Tip-off will be at 5:00 pm and all 4 teams will be in action. Please come out and support our Bluejays!
• There will be a Shelter-in-Place drill (tornado drill) on Friday morning. With unpredictable spring weather coming, its important for our staff and students to be prepared for any situation.

Have a great week or not, as always, the CHOICE is yours!

Why Blog???

Blogging is something I was introduced to first by friends, and then by my wife who blogs regularly for friends and family (and I guess the world) to see what's going on in our lives. She really started doing it as a way to keep her parents, who lived in Florida at the time, up-to-date on the comings and goings of our son. It's become such a success and integral part of our lives that when she doesn't post a blog I feel that nothing is going on in our lives. So, it is with that experience that I've decided to start blogging about Westphalia ISD.

I'm not exactly sure what this experiment in blogging will become. I kind of envision it as being a way to keep parents, students, and the community informed about issues in public education and WISD in particular. When done right, blogs can be a great tool to increase communication and keep people informed.

I'm not quite sure what the format will be for my postings yet. I may post weekly announcements, funny or inspirational stories, commentary on things I see or read about education or society in general....whatever comes to my mind. I can't promise I'll post daily, but I'll do my best to make sure that it's regular enough and interesting enough to keep you coming back for more. One thing I will ask of you though: since the topics will basically be coming off the top of my head, please forgive me for any typing errors or spelling mistakes. As a former English teacher, I'll do my best to keep them to a minimum.

So, I hope you'll enjoy the blog and check it out regularly. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Who knows, maybe I'll blog about a question you have. I can't promise you I'll have all the answers, but I'll give you my honest opinion and do my best to find out the answer to any questions you have.